A Brief History of Balmain
“Keep to the basic principles of fashion and you will always be in harmony with the latest trends without falling prey to them.” — Pierre Balmain
My next installment of “A Brief History of” a fashion house is about Mr. Pierre Balmain, the founder of Maison Balmain, which I feel is only fitting after Mr. Dior last week. Pierre Balmain is a french designer that noticed the potential in the American market far earlier than his designing peers and competition. He also focused on a traditional elegance, with a preference of making money, as opposed to fulfilling a design vision (unlike Yves Saint Laurent for example).
You cannot discuss the House of Balmain without the following two things; the iconic blazer and Oscar de la Renta. Both of these are huge parts of Balmain’s success and had nothing to do with Pierre Balmain.
Pierre Balmain
If you read my Brief History of Dior, then you will already know that Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain worked with Christian Dior for Lucien Lelong in Paris, for the house Lelong.
